What are Inherited Heart Conditions?
Inherited Heart Conditions are genetic variations passed from parents to children. A single genetic variation can affect the development of the heart. When a family member is diagnosed with heart disease, family members are encouraged to undergo screening for risk factors and early-stage disease.
Some inherited conditions include:
- Autoimmune disease is which your immune system mistakenly attacks your body (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and scleroderma).
- Cardiomyopathy
- Cardiac amyloidosis
- Cardiac tumors
- Familial thoracic aortic aneurysm syndrome
- Heart arrhythmias
- Heart valve disease
- High cholesterol
- Pulmonary hypertension
There may be some signs and symptoms, including:
- Chest pain
- Fatigue
- Heart palpitations
- Fainting
- Shortness of breath
- Sudden cardiac death
What causes Inherited Heart Conditions?
A mutation causes heart conditions in one or more of our genes. If one of your parents has a single genetic variation, or if you have it, there is a %50 chance you could inherit it or pass it on to each of your children.
How are Inherited Heart Conditions Treated?
Different options would help manage and prevent this condition. Treatment options include:
Lifestyle changes
- Avoid alcohol consumption
- Avoid smoking
- Healthy diet
- Exercise under doctor’s directions.
- Manage weight-loss options if you are overweight or obese.
- Manage stress
Medications depending on underlying conditions:
- Antiarrhythmic medications to heart’s rhythm.
- Anticoagulants “blood-thinners” to treat, prevent and reduce blood clots
- Anti-inflammatory medications to reduce inflammation and relief pain.
- Beta-blockers to lower your blood pressure.
- Calcium channel blockers relax and open up narrowed blood vessels, reduce heart rate, and lower blood pressure.
- Diuretics “water pills” to reduce the amount of fluid retention in your body.
- Gene-modifying medications and protein stabilizers.
Surgical procedures depending on underlying conditions:
- Cardiac ablation to treat arrhythmias
- Cardioversion
- Coronary artery bypass
- Heart transplantation
- Implantable cardioverter defibrillator
- Pacemaker implantation
- Septal myectomy
- Ventricular assist device